March is ending and spring will be in full swing in April and May! And hair salons are booked with three major services during the spring that we take very seriously: hair lightening, wedding updos, and PROM!

So this #weekendbeautytip is for the prom-goers out there looking to prepare and dominate their prom selfies. I scoured the web and found these 11 great tips from Teen Vogue editors who help you achieve your perfect prom look! Usually, I’d only pick my top few tips from multiple sources and give you a good summary, but to be honest, every single one of these tips were just too good. I had to quote them verbatim, because these editors know what their talking about and I wish someone would’ve given me these prom tips back in my high school days!

So to give proper credit, these original tips & photos come from the editors Elaine Welteroth, Jessica Minkoff, Kirby Marzec, and Sarah Brody of teenvogue.com [written by Chantal Strasburger]. I also added some photos & links to give you some visual inspiration. So, without further ado, I quote the pros:

1. There’s no wrong way to do prom.
Remember that and everything will be 100% easier. Prom is your night to shine, and you shouldn’t let anyone pressure you into doing something that you aren’t completely and totally happy with.

2. Check out runway trends for style inspiration.
Taking a cue from fashion week shows, one of the season’s most popular looks is all about a punk classic vibe. Opt for a black dress but spunk it up with embellishments and a few cool accessories like a choker or sparkly clutch. Finish off the look with chunky Mary Janes or flats so that you can keep the dance floor occupied all night long. [Ash here: I'd add to head here if you like a punk look with blush undertones or here for this teal dress and accessories for some Pin-spiration!]

3. Make it your own with a little DIY love.
The only way to make sure no one else will be matching your ensemble? Get creative with your own personal touch. Once you’ve defined your prom personality, craft accordingly and maybe add a little lace, cut off the sleeves, or sew on some sequins—go big or go home.

4. Mix it up with a pant!
More and more celebrities are ditching the dress and showing up to the red carpet in pantsuits and one pieces. Think Emma Stone in Lanvin at the Golden Globes. And the best thing about them is that you can wear it to prom and then over and over again. How many people can re-wear their prom dress? Kirby’s accessory tip: Wear a heel to make legs look longer and simple and easy statement earrings to add some flair.

5. When it comes to makeup, less is more.
Elaine’s makeup mantra is one to live by: Never let the makeup wear you; you should always looks like yourself, just even more gorgeous! So if you find the lady at the makeup counter piling on the eye shadow when you’re used to going au naturel, speak up and take a few steps back. It’s great to amp up your personal style, just make sure you still feel confident in your skin. And if you’re going the faux-lash route, use just a half set otherwise you might get droopy-eyed. Lastly, go easy on foundation (even with blemishes) to avoid a caked-on effect. [Oh, and just in case you didn't know, YES!, we do makeup applications here at Posh, with our incredible MiraBella Makeup line, you'll never look over-done!]

6. Skincare: Start prepping now for flawless skin.
Prom stress can typically led to break outs but fear not! When it’s T-minus 5 hours until your date shows up and a huge zit appears, the most important thing you can do is apply hydrocortisone cream and an ice cube to reduce swelling and redness. Other skin care tips from Elaine: Don’t change your skincare routine 3-4 weeks before the big day.!A sudden swap could mess with your complexion. And as always, eat healthy and avoid greasy or sugary foods, especially the month before prom. [Need some skin tips before the big day? Ask to speak with one of our estheticians for the right products, or book a facial right here at Posh to get your skin all glowy & gorgeous!]

7. Hair: Switch it up!
Now’s the time to experiment with something a little funkier and try something new. Test drive edgy cornrows, romantic braids, or a faux undercut a week before to see what you like. Looking for something less drastic? Channel a’70s siren with old-school foam rollers, or keep it simple and elegant with chic hair accessories over a low bun. [These fun and different hairstyles are our fav over here at Posh, so make a prom appointment ASAP to get gorgeous hair for your big night!]

8. Nails: Hand it to the professionals.
The negative space trend was all the rage during fashion week—and to make sure the cool art lasts, splurge a little on a gel manicure. You won’t have to worry about them chipping and can enjoy the polished look for much longer.

9. Coordination is key.
For those of you who like to plan everything to a T, don’t forget about your date! Go over your outfits together beforehand so that they can either contrast in just the right way, or match perfectly so you can achieve prom-pic domination.

10. If at first it doesn’t fit, alter, alter, alter.
Alterations are key to a stunning dress. Whether you’re wearing your mother’s rad hand-me-down or hit the jackpot at a vintage store, a little bit of fitting goes a long way.

11. HAVE FUN!
Of course our last tip goes with out saying, but remember that when it all comes down to it, it’s about how you feel and (cheesy alert) the memories that you make. So start picking that playlist that gets you going and make plans with your favorite pals, and remember to balance out all the prom selfies with a little old-fashioned living-in-the-moment fun.

This winter has thrown us all for a loop. It feels more like a bad break up than it does a season due to all the back and forth and all the lingering. One day is cold and snowy and the next is eighty degrees. We’ve all felt confused on which seasonal wardrobe we should keep in our closets, and we’re tired of the weather whiplash.

But alas, it seems the official Spring Equinox is finally here, and we at Posh want to make sure your hair is prepped and street-ready for the new season! So how can you prep your hair for spring?

1. CALM IT DOWN: Your hair has braved many storms this season. You’ve put it through dry heat in your home, static from your sweaters, freezing outside temperatures, and perhaps you also colored your hair to match your winter skin tone. Cold weather also dries out your scalp and skin. That’s a lot of changes for your hair in just one season. Come in for a conditioning treatment that will calm all that static, nourish any damage caused by color or heated styling tools, and infuse moisture back into your scalp.

2. SHAPE IT UP: Maybe you didn’t come in the salon because you were snowed in all winter. Maybe you wanted to grow your hair out during the cold months while you could cover the awkward phase with a hat. Regardless of the reason, a lot of people miss haircuts during the winter, which causes unevenness and dry ends. So make sure to swing by and snag a shape-up for your locks. It creates overall health for the hair and lets you enter spring looking polished and prepped instead of straggly.

3. THROW IN SOME SUBTLE SUN RAYS: Not sure if you want to go all-out blonde yet? To prep your hair for spring, throw in some subtle accent highlights or create an all-over faint, refined ombre. The way to stay subtle and sun-kissed is to only lighten your color dimensions up to 5 shades above your current base color. Don’t lighten any higher than that if you don’t want your hair to look high-contrast. If you enjoy these subtle changes during spring, you can always go brighter and bolder for the summer!

4. CHANGE YOUR PRODUCTS: I change my go-to products during every season change. Why? Because my hair needs different benefits depending on the environment. What does your hair struggle with during the spring and the summer as opposed to colder months? Perhaps you need to throw your static-eliminating products on the shelf and bust out your color protectant or your frizz-management products. For styling aids, I’d recommend using our new Frizz Dismiss Line for spring– it’s an entire product line with different levels of frizz management, depending on the texture and needs of your particular hair type! A few of our stylists have tried it out and are in love.

Follow these 4 easy steps and bam–be prepped for spring in no time! And if you want any info on our cuts, color, or conditioning treatments, head to our service page or call our front desk at 919-683-2109!

I’m a little late to the party, but I’ve recently discovered (and become addicted to) Pinterest. Nestled amongst the 100+ “World’s Best Chicken” recipes and crafty things to do with toilet paper rolls, I’ve also seen a TON of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) health and beauty ideas and recipes. Lots of these are great, most are ok, some are bad ideas, and some are downright dangerous. I’m here to help you sort through the DIY Pinterest world to keep you and your family healthy and looking fabulous!

Remember that I’m not only an esthetician, I’m a nurse, too! So know that when I give each of these DIY ideas a grade, it’s because the medical part of me just needs to say something if you’re about to slather something toxic on your body!

Let the grading begin…

Coconut oil on ALL THE THINGS: This is not going to hurt you, provided you’re not allergic. Some people find that coconut oil helps with acne, some find it clogs their pores. Some people find it deeply moisturizing, while others experience dry skin. Your mileage may vary, as they say, but coconut oil is a lovely ingredient and has many health benefits both internally and externally. Grade: A

Homemade Sunscreen: I was shocked to find that this was even a thing! Mixing zinc oxide into butters and oils seems pretty innocuous, but I sure as heck wouldn’t trust it out in the sun for extended periods of time with my Irish skin. Zinc oxide is great, but we prefer to see it combined with other sunscreen ingredients (titanium dioxide, oxybenzone, etc.) to ensure full broad spectrum protection, not to mention all that oil will make your skin sizzle! Grade: D+

Camphor Oil for Rosacea: A key ingredient in Vicks Vapo-Rub, camphor oil is useful as an inhalant for cough suppression. However, when applied topically, it can be a huge irritant and some varieties can even be toxic due to higher percentage of safrol. It also increases blood flow—something the ruddy-cheeked rosacea sufferer does not need. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why this is a recommendation. Grade: F

Sea Salt/Sugar Scrubs: Mixed with oils and/or butters, salt and sugar scrubs exfoliate and moisturize at the same time. Relatively easy and inexpensive to make, these scrubs are great for your body to shed dry skin and may even help keep ingrown hairs at bay. I’m not a fan of scrubs on your facial skin, but if you must, please use fine sugar. Make small batches unless you are also adding a preservative (no, Vitamin E is not a preservative, it’s an anti-oxidant) because each time your wet fingers reach in the jar for a scoop of scrub, some water will remain in your mix, giving bacteria and mold a tasty spot in which to grow. Grade: A (body), B (face)

Oatmeal, Yogurt, Honey or Strawberry Masks: Nothing wrong with any of these ingredients alone or combined. Yogurt and strawberries contain mild exfoliating properties, oatmeal is soothing, and honey is a wonderful humectant. Grade: A

Essential Oils Used Internally or Undiluted: Or used on infants or used on animals or used as eyedrops or used on your eyelashes or…you get the idea. Aromatherapy has been around forever, and essential oils are both wonderfully fragrant and powerful, with many antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, healing benefits. I’ve studied aromatherapy for 15 years and still have only scratched the surface of all there is to know. “Thanks” to several multi-level-marketing (MLM) companies that sell oils, everybody and their mother is now into this natural way of healing.

And that’s great, except for when it’s not.

Tea tree oil is great for acne, lavender is great for burns, eucalyptus is great for opening up your sinuses, but you must respect the oils and use them in the proper manner and at an appropriate dilution so you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else. Your neighbor’s best friend’s daughter who has joined one of these MLM programs most likely has not truly studied aromatherapy and is instead repeating what she’s been told by the MLM company to tell prospective customers in an effort to sell more of their products. While their intentions may be good, people without proper training have no business “prescribing” essential oils for healing just as someone with no medical training has no business prescribing medications (and could face jail time for practicing medicine without a license). So please don’t rub clove oil on your teething infant’s gums or drink lemon oil in your water or ingest oregano oil. To learn more about the right ways to use these precious oils, I recommend reading anything by Robert Tisserand, the granddaddy of aromatherapy. Grade: F-

I’m always happy to talk with you about DIY type stuff at your appointment or a free skin care consult. I’ve been making handmade soap and bath/body products since 1999 so I know a thing or two about it.

The weather has been super confusing in NC recently. In the last two weeks we’ve had days of ice and snow, followed by days of warmth and sunshine, with temperatures ranging from 5 to 75 degrees. All these fluctuations, as well as having your heat cranked up during those frosty days, can really confuse your skin too! Never fear, though, as I have two quick and inexpensive remedies that will rejuvenate your skin and give you a moment to relax and be taken care of by Posh’s expert estheticians.

Our MicroZone treatments are a great way to address your skin’s winter blues in just 20 minutes! Perfect for people who are on the go (or on a budget), these targeted treatments offer solutions to a variety of skin issues whether it’s blackheads, aging, or oil control. We’re going to focus on the two treatments best able to tackle the issues you may be facing right now.

MicroZone Flash Exfoliation

If you’ve been following my Wednesday blog posts, you know there are two things I’m super nutty about: sunscreen and exfoliation! Well, if you’ve got a nice layer of dry, dull, wintery skin on your face, this is the perfect treatment for you! After cleansing your skin, we apply a professional strength exfoliant (no scrubbing!) for a few minutes, followed by soothing toner, eye treatment, and moisturizer/sunscreen. You’ll have fresh, new, dewy skin in mere minutes! What’s more, after getting that dry layer off, any moisturizer or treatment you apply to your skin will be able to sink in better and be more effective.

MicroZone Moisture Boost

Speaking of getting your moisturizer or treatment to work better, this treatment combines a milder form of exfoliation (perfect for you sensitive types out there) and a deeply hydrating masque. The masque is followed by toner, eye treatment, and rich reparative cream/sunscreen. You’ll have smoother, hydrated, softer skin after a relaxing trip to our zen-like treatment room. This is a great treatment to have before a special night out on the town, or to undo the damage from a wild night out on the town!

Of course we also have our Express Facial (30 minutes), and our variety of Hour-Long Facials and Advanced Facial Peel are 20% off on Mondays to meet all of your skin’s needs (see our Services page to read up on those!). Schedule an appointment or free skin care consultation today!

Join me next time when I’ll help you determine which DIY Pinterest skin treatments can help or hurt your skin!

Warm weather will be coming soon we are getting excited about sun-kissed strands, long summer pony tails, cute top knots, and adorable headbands. While we are still in transition from winter to spring, lots of women are asking, “how can I grow my hair out fastest for summer? I really like to be able to put it up when it’s hot and throw it in a braid if I go to the beach. What’s the best way to grow it out?”

So this #weekendbeautytip is for those desiring to get past the awkward-growing-out-your-hair stage as soon as possible! Here are 6 fool-proof ways to grow out your hair!

1. Scalp massages

One of the major benefits of regular hair-brushing and getting massages is that your scalp gets stimulated! We often view our hair as just that—hair. We forget it is attached to our body and that the place where it’s attached–the scalp–is where most of the action happens in regards to growing out our hair. So keep your scalp stimulated with circulation that encourages growth! Ways to stimulate the scalp can include asking for a scalp massage while your stylist shampoos you, opting for stimulating conditioners with tea tree oil or mint extracts (like Pureology’s Hydrate Conditioner), brushing your hair often, and massing the scalp daily during your shower routine.

2. Take Biotin (properly).

Biotin is known as an amazing supplement that encourages hair and nail growth, and most people using it see results within a month or so. It’s also known to help women with any stretch markings post-pregnancy. However, there are cons to Biotin if it’s not taken properly. Too much Biotin can lead to acne and skin breakouts. It’s still a leading choice for those wanting to grow their hair out in a healthy way, as long as it’s taken the right way! (To learn more about taking Biotin properly, head here.)

3. Keep up with Trims

I know, I know. Everyone hates cutting their hair during the grow-out stage, because it feels like your chopping off all your hard work! But you aren’t. Think of it as pruning.

A rose bush can’t grow into all it’s glory if the half-dead pieces are taking up a lot of the nutrients, right? Those pieces will never make it, so there’s no use in wasting good nutrients that could have gone to the stems (or strands in our case) that could have made it. When you let your hair grow and grow, you have a mixture of dead, frayed pieces alongside healthy strands. The dead ones will eventually break off and leave your hair looking straggly. The healthy strands will look unkempt and sparse at the ends, and they will be bitter at you for not giving them the nutrients they could’ve had. So consider quick trims the pruning process of letting the dead pieces go and allowing the healthy pieces to stay and benefit from your nutrient-rich products. At the end of the growing-out stage, all the ends will be even and healthy instead of straggly and sparse.

4. Get a Protein Treatment

The last paragraph spoke a lot of “nutrients.” And what’s one of the best ways to get a boost of strength for your hair? Protein treatments. They will fortify your hair while it grows out and give it the strength it needs to grow long. Ever wonder how protein treatments actually work within each individual hair strand? Check out the skinny on protein treatments here.

5. Use Olaplex while coloring your hair– it rebuilds the bonds in your hair while lightening it!

Most people feel torn if they have to upkeep their highlights while growing their hair out. They know that coloring can damage the hair and break it off sometimes (if not done properly), but they still desire long, gorgeous locks. But now there’s Olaplex, which allows for both lightening and strengthening in the same appointment! Yes, lightening the hair does break your strands down in order to pull up the color level. But Olaplex is a cutting edge product with technology that rebuilds the broken bonds as your hair lightens! Amazing right? You walk away with your hair lightened, but all your hair bonds remain in tact. It’s a perfect way to maintain your color while growing out your hair. We now carry this Olaplex service at Posh–just ask your stylist!

6. Use Length-Savvy Products

Redken just came out with a stellar new product for anyone desiring to grow out their hair: Extreme Lengths. This system consists of a regimen of shampoo/condition, priming, and sealing. Redken has been working on this product until it’s perfect, and now, it gives you the ability to grow 6+ inches in a year! Thanks Redken!

And there you have it! Happy hair-growing everyone, and Merry Weekend!